


Stargazing

by ItsKarla



Series: The universe series [1]
Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Bad Flirting, Boys In Love, Dad Robert Sugden, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Seb is a little star, Soulmates, alternative universe, maximum fluff, universe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:14:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23349760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsKarla/pseuds/ItsKarla
Summary: “It’s been said that me making people see stars is one of my many talents,” Aaron says lowly with his wonderful hoarse voice, his blue eyes sparkle, full of meaning, and Robert forgets to breathe for a second.———Robert Sugden is a working single parent and too busy for love. But the universe has a different plan.
Relationships: Aaron Dingle & Robert Sugden, Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: The universe series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691092
Comments: 73
Kudos: 175





	1. Falling stars

**Author's Note:**

> I had this little idea today and had to write it down.  
> It‘s the first of three chapters. 
> 
> Another attempt on fluffy shit, I hope you like it.  
> (I am not an expert in astronomy and I apologise in advance)

“Daddy! Daddy, look!”

“I’m looking, buddy,” Robert smiles softly.

He  _ is  _ indeed looking, but not at what Seb actually meant. Robert can barely keep his eyes away from his son, who is walking around like he just entered Willy Wonka’s bloody chocolate factory. The light is dim, but Robert can see Seb’s big green eyes and his O-shaped mouth. He is staring up to the ceiling and keeps muttering things like “cool” and “wow” and every second word is “daddy”. 

Robert’s heart feels too big in his chest when he watches his little boy. It was a good decision to come here, he makes a mental node to thank Vic for that tip later. Since Seb had seen this kids show about the moon and the stars, he was obsessed with everything regarding the universe. He even convinced Robert to let him stay awake late once, to see the night sky for himself. Unfortunately they live in a town and the light pollution made it almost impossible to see many stars. Seb broke out in tears and it took Robert two days and the promise to take him to an observatory to calm him down again.

So here they are. In an observatory that offers special workshops and exhibitions for kids of Seb’s age. It’s perfect actually. Not that Robert had much of a look around himself so far, he is too busy watching Seb, scared of losing him in the crowd of kids and parents. But he knows it is perfect, because his son’s face is nothing but true wonder and excitement.

And Seb deserves to be happy, Robert would do anything to see his son like this. He is only 6 years old but he has been through enough already. 

“Daddy?” Seb literally pulls him out of his thoughts as he tugs on his right jeans leg.

“Hm?”

“Daddy? What’s this bright star called again?” Seb points somewhere above him.

Robert follows his finger, twists his neck and-

Oh. 

Stars. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe. The sight is breathtaking.

They are in a huge room without windows, the ceiling is shaped like a dome and all the stars are projected on it - it looks impressively realistic. 

“Err, which one, buddy?” Robert asks slowly, because  _ fuck _ ! There are so many!

“This one, daddy!” Seb emphasises and that’s surprisingly not helping. “The bright one!”

And Robert stares really hard at the imitated sky, searching not only for that particularly bright star, but also for its name. He has read a few books to Seb about the stars and their names, but he only draws a blank when he tries to remember them.

“That’s the Dog Star,” Robert suddenly hears a raspy voice somewhere below him.

His head flips down in surprise to see a man crouching next to Seb. His first instinct is to grab Seb’s shoulder and pull him closer to his leg. That stranger might be a creep after all. Which grown up talks to an unfamiliar kid just out of nowhere?

“No way!” Seb looks at the man with huge eyes and laughs out loud. “I never heard about a dog star and daddy read a lot of books about stars to me.” The little body straightens with pride and Seb looks up to him with that expression only kids have: the deep trust in their parents' omniscience. 

Robert drowns in the feeling of affection for his little man and smiles back at him. In the corner of his eye he notices the man raising. 

The man himself is… nice, Robert realises. More than nice. 

The dim, blue light of the night sky illuminates his face just enough for Robert to notice all the beautiful features the guy has. His eyes are basically glowing, the light might trick his senses, but Robert thinks they are blue, like a blue lagoon that draws him in magically. His dark hair is gelled and he has a short stubble, that Robert wants to feel scratching over his skin in areas that are mostly hidden from the sunlight.

A sudden heat flushes his body and surprises him. He hasn’t felt that kind of  _ want  _ for anybody since he got Seb. Robert has to swallow hard, when his gaze lands on the strangers mouth to see him gently smiling.

“Has he? That is lovely of your daddy,” the bloke says as a response to Seb, but his blue eyes never leave Robert’s face.

He feels his cheeks burning slightly and silently thanks the universe for the blue light in the dome to swallow up the fact of his changing face colour. There is something about this man that makes his body buzz.

“And daddy never heard of a star called dog star, either,” he says when he finally remembers how to form actual words.

The bloke tugs the corners of his mouth down and nods. It is a “is that so?” move and he is still somehow smiling although his lips are twisted. His eyes sparkle, challenging. It looks absolutely adorable.

“The official name is Sirius,” the man explains and finally looks down to Seb again, who is still watching the stranger with blatant curiosity. When he hears the name, Seb’s eyes light up.

“Yeah, daddy, that’s it! Sirius!” he claps his hands excitedly.

“And what is your official name?” Robert asks and cringes at his own words. His flirting is embarrassingly rusty after all these years.

“Aaron.” 

Aaron offers a hand and Robert shakes it. Aaron’s hand feels strong, his grip is dry and tight, but not too tight, and Robert immediately imagines this grip around another part of his body, wondering if it would feel just as perfect. Aaron suddenly clears his throat and raises his eyebrows, looking expectantly… Oh. Right.

“I’m Robert and this is Seb!” he says and realises that they are still shaking hands like idiots. 

He draws his hand back and misses the skin contact instantly. 

“So, Seb! What do you know about the sky and the stars?” Aaron asks, getting on his knees to be on the same height level with his son again. 

Robert kinda likes that Aaron went down to talk to him - that was a cute gesture. Thoughtful. A huge grin spread on Seb’s little face, showing his missing tooth (at first Seb was in tears when his lower incisor finally fell out, but then the Tooth Fairy brought a new toy overnight and it was basically forgotten). His son is taking a large inhale and Robert has to bite back a laugh, because he knows what’s about to happen. Seb starts to ramble about the TV show, about the books they read, about star signs, the moon and the TV show again. 

Robert can’t help but be impressed at how serious Aaron stays, he is nodding here and there, looking absolutely interested. It gives Robert a good five minutes to stare shamelessly at him. God, this bloke was hot. And he knew how to act around kids. Which was kinda hot too. Seeing Aaron and his boy together does something really weird to Robert’s heart. 

And then Aaron starts talking about the constellations they see on the ceiling of the dome.

“Look at those five bright stars that look like a W,” Aaron says and stops. “Do you know what a W looks like?” 

Seb raises his little hands and shows him with his thumbs and his forefingers, and okay, Robert feels a bit proud because his boy is damn clever.

“Very good,” Aaron smiles, looks back on the ceiling again and points towards it, “That W up there? It is called Cassiopeia. And over there... you see those four bright stars that look like a bowl and the three that look like a handle? That’s the Big Dipper. Do you see it?”

Seb nods frantically.

“Once you find the Big Dipper, you can find the Little Dipper easily, too!”

Aaron explains and points and Seb shifts subconsciously closer and closer towards him, 15 minutes later he is basically leaning against Aaron’s shoulder. Robert is unsure if he should interfere, pull Seb back - Aaron is a stranger after all - but the other man doesn’t seem to mind and he doesn’t seem to be a creep either, so Robert lets them both be and just stands there, listening. 

In the end he learns just as much as Seb, Robert probably wouldn’t admit it, but it is actually pretty interesting. Aaron definitely knows a lot about the universe.

“Wow, you know a lot about the universe!” Seb is absolutely flabbergasted.

“It’s because I work here,” Aaron whispers as if it is a secret, but it is still loud enough for Robert to hear.

“You’re a  _ scientist _ !” Seb beams. “Daddy! Aaron is a real scientist!”

Aaron looks up and meets Robert’s gaze, he looks a bit sheepish suddenly and bites his lip.

“That’s really impressive, isn’t it, Sebbo?” Jesus, he really has to work on his flirting skills again. 

“My daddy is an  _ en-tre-pre-neur _ . Is that right, daddy?” Seb says proudly.

“That’s right, buddy. You‘ve pronounced it perfectly.” He strokes over his son’s strawberry blond hair and damn, his heart feels too small for all the love he has for this little fella.

Robert hasn’t even noticed that Aaron got up in the meantime and gives him an intense look. Head tilted to the side, smiling softly.

Suddenly he wants to ask for Aaron’s number, maybe they could meet for dinner some time, or a drink, get to know each other...

But Robert knows that it is all in his head, wishful thinking. He has his job and Seb and that was more than enough, really. 

“Thank you so much, Aaron, for explaining all this. It really meant a lot to Seb,” his traitorous mouth says and Robert wants to slap himself.

“Do you have to go now, Aaron?” Seb asks sadly, sensing that it sounded like a goodbye.

“Actually I have time left,” Aaron says cheerily, “have you already seen the big exhibition about the sun and the moon?”

“No!” Seb shouts and starts jumping up and down, tugging on Robert’s jeans again. “Can we, daddy? Can we?”

Who is Robert to say no to this little charmer? When they walk together into the other room, he realises that Aaron didn’t even look at his watch.

  
  
  
  


Aaron is not only bloody smart, he is also funny and - oh my god - he is adorable with Seb. Somehow they spend the whole afternoon together and only when Robert’s back starts to hurt and Seb’s belly growls loudly do they realise that it is almost tea time.

“I think it is time to say goodbye to Aaron, buddy,” he says and tries to smile, but it feels weird and fake.

He doesn’t want to say goodbye and his heart clenches when he sees that Seb is just as sad. 

“Thank you, Aaron,” Seb says politely and his voice sounds small and miserable. 

“No, I have to thank  _ you _ !” Aaron winks at him and Seb can’t hold back the broad smile.

“Yeah?”

“Honestly. Because I had a lot of fun today!”

Robert meets Aaron’s eyes and whoa, they are incredibly blue, like the sky on a sunny summer day.

“I bet you say this to all of the visitors here,” Robert teases him, half joking, half wondering if Aaron really meant it.

That seems to be a funny thing to say, because Aaron suddenly laughs and his whole face lights up. As well as Robert’s heart. 

“No, definitely not!” he manages out, still chuckling and a warm feeling spreads in Robert’s chest. 

He really likes to believe that it was not just a job for Aaron, that he really enjoyed this afternoon as much as him and Seb.

“So, err… Will you visit us again soon?” Aaron asks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

“It’s quite a long drive from our hometown to get here,” Robert starts and notices how Aaron’s hopeful expression falters. His heartbeat speeds up, as he continues: “But you know, we might come back soon, because I think it’s fair to say you really impressed Seb today. I mean, he looks at you like you hung the moon or so…”

His voice trails off. Robert wants the ground to swallow him up, because his flirting was really  _ that  _ bad.

“It’s been said that me making people see stars is one of my many talents,” Aaron says lowly with his wonderful hoarse voice, his blue eyes sparkle, full of meaning, and Robert forgets to breathe for a second.

Robert Sugden doesn’t get speechless, he always knows what to shoot back. His good observation and his sharp tongue had brought him to the position he‘s in today. Being CEO of a successful farm machinery company. His company is in fact that successful, he can even work part time from his home office. Smarmy bankers, shifty lawyers, petty accountants - Robert knows how to schmooze them all. 

But Aaron managed to somehow put him off his stride. Damn.

“When we drive out here the next time, how do we know you are working? Little Seb would be really sad, if we missed you. Maybe if you gave me your number, I could call you first?” 

Okay, this is a blunt move. Robert knows that. And using Seb is questionable as well. But he really really really wants that number. Even though he is not sure if he is ever going to use it. 

“Daddy! That is an amazing idea!” Seb shouts happily.

Aaron does his cute mouth-shrug-lip-twist move again and holds his hand out.

“Gimme your phone then,” he orders and Robert complies.

His heart beats fast in his chest as he watches Aaron’s thumb flying over his screen, typing in his number. Robert hasn’t done this for years. Almost 4 years, to be precise. 

Flirting.

His whole body tingles and buzzes with a nervous excitement and he feels suddenly like a teenager again. 

‘Aaron Dingle’ reads the contact when Robert gets his phone back. He rings the number and Aaron’s pocket buzzes.

“Now you’ve got my number,” he says and they share an intense look.

He itches to lunge forward and kiss the other man, which is absolutely crazy, he barely knows Aaron. Maybe he is dead boring outside of the observatory, maybe he has terrible taste in movies or a questionable understanding of bodily hygiene.

No, he stops his weird mind, Aaron is perfect. He just  _ knows  _ it.

“Will you bring your mummy next time too, Seb?“ Aaron asks and Robert registers immediately what this is. 

This is subtly checking if there is a SO in the picture. Bless Aaron, he couldn‘t know that this flippant remark hit right in Seb‘s tiny heart. 

“No, she won‘t come,“ Seb answers with a thin voice, shifting closer to Robert‘s leg.

It breaks his heart, seeing him like that and although his son is a little bit too big for that now, he reaches down and pulls him up to sit on his hip. He gives him a cuddle and rubs his back like he always does when Seb is sad. Robert looks at Aaron over the small shoulder and just shakes his head to signal that there was no mummy around. 

_ Sorry,  _ Aaron mouths and he looks genuinely crestfallen.

They leave a little later, Seb almost cries when he has to finally say goodbye to his new best mate Aaron and Robert-

Robert feels sad too, a heavy stone settles in his stomach. 

He wishes he could turn back time and relive that afternoon again. 

But that’s not how life works,he thinks bitterly when he checks if Sebs seatbelt is locked correctly.

They had an amazing time in the observatory, but this is not reality. Reality is skype meetings, business calls and in between playing pirate and building lego houses. There is no space for dating, a boyfriend or even an affair. There isn’t even enough space for  _ him  _ actually. That is reality. Not flirting with some hot scientist.

No matter how much he wishes it were different.

He tells himself to get a grip, he made it 4 years without intimacy, so what‘s the point in getting touchy now. Robert knows all this, but still his eyes burn suddenly and he grips the steering wheel tightly. 

He wishes.

“Daddy? You okay?” Seb’s green eyes look at him full of concern. 

His freckles shine in the evening sunlight. Something tugs at Robert’s heart. This is his reality. His priority. His son. This is all that matters.

He doesn’t know if they’ll come here a second time anyway. Aaron probably hadn’t even saved his number. It was most likely that Robert imagined all the flirting, because of his dried out love life. 

“I’m fine, buddy!” he says and tries to sound like he means it.

He starts the engine, when he feels his phone buzzing. There is a new message. His heart wants to jump out of his throat when he sees that it’s from Aaron.

_ Your son was the real star today, Mr En-tre-pre-neur. Will I see you again? Aaron X  _

The X. 

Robert types before his bloody brain starts thinking again.

_ I‘d love that. R x  _

Robert gives Seb a broad smile and drives slowly out of the parking slot. He switches the radio on, the radio plays some catchy dance tune and it doesn‘t take long for Robert to hum along.

_ Trying to catch your heart Is like _

_ Trying to catch a star, it's like _

_ Trying to catch your heart Is like _

_ Trying to catch a star _

_ Trying to catch your heart Is like _

_ Trying to catch a star _

_ That must be what you are. _

_ Waiting for a star to fall, _

_ And carry your heart into my arms _

_ That's where you belong _

_ In my arms baby, yeah. _


	2. To the moon and back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I‘ll take you to the moon and back, if you want,“ Aaron winks.
> 
> ———  
> Robert and Aaron start dating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the lovely feedback on this ❤️

_ Seb is still not over the fact that the moon's gravity is responsible for the tides. 😊 _

Aaron smiles at his phone and shakes his head fondly. God, he is so far gone already. 

He had noticed Robert and Seb in the dome straight away. It was hilarious, really. 

The usual visitors in the observatory on a family afternoon were mothers with huge bags, probably with enough food and drinks to survive a week in the wild, and stressed dads with a pile of jackets over their arm, trying to manage a bunch of bratty kids. And let's face it, most of the children  _ are _ brats - loud and bold, using the dome room to race around and touch everything they shouldn‘t - at least according to Aaron‘s experience. 

But then he spotted that little red-head with his expression full of amazement, followed by a man who looked so out of place with his styled hair, his  _ suit _ and his white button-down. The suit had elbow patches, Aaron didn‘t even know you could buy something like that. 

Who‘s wearing a business outfit anyway when spending time on a  _ weekend _ with a toddler? 

Aaron‘s phone buzzes again.

_ My son thinks you‘re the coolest man on Earth, just saying.  _

He smiles even wider. 

It only took him like 5 seconds to know that Seb is a special kid, sensitive and extremely clever. And it took him only one closer look at the father to know that he was screwed. Robert is amazing. Not only insanely hot looking, he is a weird mixture between a serious businessman and adorable daddy with a heart made of marshmallow. 

After they‘d exchanged numbers they hadn’t stopped texting and it has become a daily habit now, like eating and brushing teeth. They start with good mornings and end the days with good nights and in between Robert shares a lot of messages about his work and his son. Aaron comments on it and sends voice messages with facts about the moon for Seb. 

The moon is his new favourite planet.

_ He is not wrong,  _ Aaron texts back and bites his lip and adds:  _ What does Seb‘s dad think? _

His heart is pounding in his chest and his hands are so clammy, it‘s gross, but he needs to know. Needs to know if this is one-sided. Yes, they text a lot, yes, they exchange voice messages, but Aaron still isn‘t sure if it is just a friendship thing from Robert‘s side. Maybe he is mostly doing all of this for his son‘s sake. 

“Aaron!“

He looks up to see his boss‘ impatient grumpy face and swallows, gaze flicking down to his screen again, wishing it would light up with a new message from Robert and dreading the answer to his question at the same time.

“Aaron, I‘m not paying you to play with your phone!“

“Coming, Mr White!“ he shouts back just when his phone buzzes again.

_ Seb’s dad thinks he might not be wrong either. _

Aaron‘s stomach does a backflip and his cheeks hurt from grinning. God, he is too far gone on Robert, he thinks, and goes back to work with a happy sigh. 

  
  
  
  


“Robert.“

He flinches like a boy that just got caught doing something naughty.

“Hm, sorry what?“ He slips his phone under the table as subtly as possible and tries to look innocent. 

Vic tilts her head, gives him a meaningful look and he knows why she is like this. She asked him to put his phone away earlier, but then Aaron wrote and he just  _ had _ to read it, okay? Aaron‘s texts are funny and cute and you wouldn‘t want to miss reading them immediately. Even if you are having dinner with your sister after she tucked your son in to sleep.

Robert sighs, deep down he knows it‘s rude.

“Sorry.“

She nods, takes her cutlery back up. “Is it that scientist again?“ she asks, like nothing had happened, before she shoves the fork into her mouth.

Red lights blink up in Robert‘s mind. He hasn‘t told Vic about Aaron so far, so it must have been Seb. And lord knows what Seb rambled to her. Vic is nosey, always was and his son loves to talk. This sounds like a bad combination when it comes to his and Aaron‘s…  _ relationship _ ...which is still to be defined.

“That scientist...?“ he starts dumbly.

“Seb told me everything, you know?“ Vics says after she swallowed her food. 

“Everything…?“ He feels like a stupid parrot now, but his brain just doesn‘t know how to handle this situation. 

“That you‘re sharing messages, that you‘re basically glued to your phone. That this man is a scientist in the observatory and Seb adores him,“ she explains and gives him a long look. “Question is, do you adore him too?“ 

Her big green eyes examine his face for a reaction. She looks so much like Sarah, it is almost scary. 

Why does it feel like he is under some sort of investigation? It is none of Vics business. Robert is definitely not going to discuss his -  _ love? _ \- life with his little sister. 

“I don‘t need to answer this,“ he snaps and crosses his arms, because he is suddenly a kid again. 

“No, I guess not,” Vic admits after a short silence and then she switches the topic, but somehow Robert knows this isn‘t over yet. 

  
  
  
  


It is their second visit to the observatory. After he texted with Aaron back and forth a few times about possible dates, they finally set it for today. Seb had been buzzing with excitement for days now and Robert isn‘t quite sure if it is because he would see the observatory or his new best mate Aaron again. 

Robert can relate to the excitement. With him it’s definitely Aaron though.

He’s waiting for them outside and he looks just as amazing as Robert remembers him. He is wearing all black, the gelled hair and his short stubble make him come across a bit rough. Aaron is nothing like you would imagine a scientist, but Robert hates stereotypes anyway. They’re boring. Besides, Aaron just looks insanely hot, even more so when a huge smile spreads across his face after he spotted them.

“Aaron!“ Seb starts running towards him.

Robert's parental instincts kick in, he wants to stop him, tell him not to overwhelm Aaron, but the other man is quicker. Aaron bends down, grabs his son and spins him up in the air. Robert‘s heart stutters and he almost trips over his feet at this sight. Seb warming up that fast to another person is definitely new. 

“Hey Seb, how are you mate?“ 

“I am so excited! Can we go in? Will you show me the moon stuff today, Aaron?“ Seb‘s eyes are glowing and his cheeks are red. He looks around to see his dad slowly getting closer. “Dad-dy! Daddy, come on!“ he whines impatiently.

And that‘s when Aaron looks from his son over to him and their eyes lock. Robert had been nervous all day, internally debating if it was a good decision to meet Aaron again, if Aaron would be as perfect as he remembers him. But when he sees those blue eyes again, something inside him seems to  _ click _ . This feels right. This is right.

“Robert,“ Aaron greets him with a soft smile and Robert loves the sound of his name when it is said with that scratchy voice.

“Hi Aaron.“

There is an awkward moment, where Robert isn‘t sure whether to shake Aaron‘s hand, to give him a hug or maybe even kiss him. He prefers the last option deep down, although he knows that it would not really be appropriate for a second meeting. Since Aaron is still carrying Seb with both hands on his hip, the other options fall flat too and they just smile at each other. 

“Oi!“ Seb breaks the moment, “can we go in now?“

  
  
  


Aaron gets them in without buying tickets and Seb looks at him like he is a magician or something. 

“Who wants to see a real moon rock?“ Aaron asks and Seb starts jumping up and down.

“Me! Me!“ he chants and Robert can‘t hold back the chuckle. 

“Take me to the moon, Aaron,“ he jokes and shrugs... well. Aaron should be used to his bad flirting by now.

“I‘ll take you to the moon and back, if you want,“ Aaron winks and it knocks the breath out of Robert’s lungs.

Seb gives them both a strange look, as if he is trying to figure out what the grown ups are playing at, but then Aaron grabs his hand and pulls him towards the exhibition room called ‘Mission to the Moon‘.

There is, in fact, a rock from the moon, Seb asks three times if it is  _ real _ and Aaron even makes a pinky swear on it. Robert can‘t help but stare at how amazing this man is with his boy. 

Aaron tells them facts about the rock and about moon rocks in general.

“Did you know that the biggest moon rock weighs 26 pounds? It even has a name, it‘s called Big Muley.”

“No way!“ Seb says with big eyes and whispers to himself with a voice full of wonder: “Big Muley.“

“Do you know who Neil Armstrong was?“ 

Robert can imagine Aaron like that, standing in front of a group of kids on a family afternoon, every child hanging on his every word just like Seb does. 

And damn, Robert has obviously hit the stage where he finds that whole teacher attitude hot as hell.

“Yeah, that was in a book daddy read to me! He was an aus-tra-not, right?“ Seb says eagerly. 

“An astronaut, right,” Aaron corrects him cleverly. “The very first astronaut on the moon! And which mission was he on? Robert?“ he grins at him. 

Robert coughs awkwardly, Seb looks at him expectantly and Aaron snickers. Bloody traitor.

“Apollo… 11?“

“Hm. That’s right. Surprisingly!“ Aaron narrows his eyes playfully. “You‘re lucky, I’ll let you off the hook!“ Aaron decides with a cheeky smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

“Well, I hope not, Mr Dingle,“ Robert mutters, just loud enough for Aaron to hear.

The reaction is a sight to behold. Aaron‘s neck is slowly blushing and his blue eyes are sparkling.

All the build up in the past few weeks, the hundreds of messages, the eye contact today, the flirting - the air feels so thick that Robert thinks he could cut it. He wishes he could kiss Aaron. He wishes he could hold his face and cradle the stubble with his thumbs. He wishes he could press his body against Aaron‘s to feel his heat, his muscles. 

“Aaron? I thought it was your day off?“ Someone says and Robert turns around to see an older bloke with a receding hairline and big belly staring at them with raised eyebrows.

“Err yeah, Mr White, I am showing my friends around,“ Aaron says and he suddenly sounds completely different. Gone is the cocky, funny attitude, he is obedient instead and it somehow doesn‘t sit right with Robert.

“Well then, I hope you enjoy your visit!“

The man, Mr White, smiles at him and Seb like a nice granddad, but there is something smarmy about him that Robert doesn‘t like.

He knows these kinds of people. Business people. Probably Aaron‘s boss. 

“See you tomorrow, Aaron.“ White nods and his eyes seem to pass an unspoken message along with his motion. Aaron gives a short nod back, lowers his eyes and then the old man moves on. 

“Who was that, Aaron?“ Seb asks.

“My boss,“ Aaron confirms Robert‘s suspicion and he still sounds much quieter than before.

“Didn‘t know it is your day off, we could have come another day…“ Robert trails off. He is pretty sure that Aaron suggested the date himself. 

“Nah!“ The smile appears back on Aaron’s face. “I have more time to show around my two favourite visitors this way!“ He claps his hands, quickly getting back to his cheerfulness. “So, did you know that you can make moon sand at home?“

“No way!“ Seb shrieks. “Can we, daddy? Please?“

“If Aaron explains to us how to do it?“ 

Robert‘s dreading the mess, but damn he just can’t say no when Seb gets excited like that.

The little man wraps him around his finger every time.

Without realising, time seems to fly again and the afternoon is over way too fast. 

When they say goodbye, Seb clings onto Aaron like a little octopus and Robert wouldn’t mind doing the same.

“Will I see you again soon?“ his son asks and Aaron looks over his shoulder at Robert with a raised eyebrow.

“I hope so, Seb.“ The blue eyes draw him in.

“Of course you will,“ Robert decides. “Aaron still has to show us how to make this moon sand stuff anyway.“

“The moon sand at home? Does that mean you‘re going to visit us?“ Seb is over the moon - ha, pun intended - and Robert freezes.

That escalated quickly. He hadn‘t planned to invite Aaron to their home, but… now that Seb somehow did it…? Yeah, Robert would love that.

Aaron looks surprised too and before he can answer, Seb takes a deep breath. 

“Daddy, can I show Aaron my books about the universe? I have a lot of books now, you know. And daddy bought a real  _ science magazine _ , Aaron! It had a poster in it and it is huuuuge!” Seb spreads his arms and shows the size with his hands. “That huge! And it hangs on the wall in my room. I‘m gonna show you my room, Aaron, and my toys, maybe I’ll even let you play with my lego train, but you have to promise to be veeery careful, because it breaks really easy.“

Seb keeps rambling and Robert gives an apologetic look to Aaron and shrugs. It’s a ‘if you feel able to put up with us you’re welcome’ gesture and Robert hopes the other man understands it. 

For a long moment he is sure Aaron would make up a lame excuse and run a mile. Being a single dad is not sexy, Robert is aware, thanks. And Seb is - as much as he loves him - quite a handful and demands a lot of attention, which would scare most potential lovers away. 

But Aaron just smiles back, nods and Robert lets out a breath he didn‘t know he was holding.

Alright then. It‘s a date. 

  
  
  
  


“Daddy?“

“Hm?“

“Is it 6 o‘clock already?“

“No, buddy.”

Seb pouts. He is sitting on the lowest stair, with crossed legs and stares into the air.

“Daddy?“ he asks five minutes later.

Robert sighs. “Yes?“

“Is it 6 o‘clock now?“

Robert closes his eyes and counts to ten. He is very close to snapping at his son. This game has gone on for over half an hour now and it is only 5 o‘clock. He won‘t survive this for another hour, not when he is that nervous, excited and impatient himself.

“No, Seb,“ he says, crouches down in front of the little man, “it is still one hour until Aaron comes, okay? So what if I put on a DVD for you? Cars, maybe?”

Seb‘s eyes light up of course, Lightning McQueen is his all-time-favourite and Robert is not proud of himself. Keeping the kid quiet with the telly is honestly the lowest of the lows, but this is kind of an emergency situation as he barely knows how to deal with his own feelings right now.

Aaron is coming over for dinner and Robert is one step away from freaking out. 

He checks if everything is clean and tidy, he spent the whole day clearing up Seb‘s toys - stepping on a goddamn lego brick would probably be a massive turn-off. Robert goes into his en-suite to take a shower,  _ again.  _ It‘s his third today, but the warm water helps to soothe his mind and to relax his body a bit. A part of him still keeps stiff and very much so in fact. Robert gives in with a sigh and grabs his cock. Years of being a single parent made him an expert in getting off quickly and quietly, it doesn‘t even take five minutes. 

At least he feels better now, more calm, when he steps out of the shower with a towel around his waist. He wipes over the fogged up mirror, stares at his reflection and thinks about what to wear on a date in his own home.

A  _ date _ . The word alone makes him antsy. If he only had more experience in dating. 

Robert can‘t remember ever being that nervous before meeting someone.

  
  
  
  
  


He sits on the sofa, wondering if he is overdressed with his blue button-down and his brown suit trousers. Robert absently strokes Seb’s hair and barely pays attention to the Disney movie he has definitely seen too bloody often, when finally the bell rings. Seb jumps up with a shriek and runs towards the door. Robert follows just as eagerly and tries to swallow his heart, that is suddenly beating like a jackhammer in his throat, back down into his chest.

“Aaron!“ Seb shouts when he yanked the door open.

The sight of Aaron almost makes him freeze. 

It‘s his hair. It‘s fluffy today, without gel. Robert‘s fingers start tingling with the want to touch it, to run them through it. To grab and pull it, whilst kissing Aaron until their lips are numb. He has to swallow again. 

They spend the next few minutes crouching in the entry of their house. Aaron brought a present for Seb and the little man screams when he sees that it is a cardboard model of the sun, the earth and the moon to explain the distance and the movements of the planets.

“Daddy! Daddy, look what Aaron got me!” Seb shouts and waves the package.

“I’m looking, buddy. That’s awesome,” Robert smiles and Seb hugs Aaron tightly, his little arms squeeze around his neck. 

The sight is absolutely overwhelming. The only other person Seb treats like that is his auntie Vic, not even his nana Diane gets him to open up like that and neither does his teacher in school. Aaron manages this little miracle after seeing him twice. Huh.

Aaron gives Robert a soft smile and if he wasn’t kneeling on the floor already, he would probably be struggling to stand, because his knees and his legs feel like jelly all of a sudden. 

After they finally make it into the house, Aaron takes an interested look around and Robert notices with a little pride swelling his chest that Aaron is impressed. 

Before he got Seb he lived in an industrial loft, quite a perfect bachelor’s pad, but with the tiny toddler it was simply impractical. There was no actual bedroom and the crib, the bobby car, the little toy cars and the tons of plushies didn’t go well with his white leather designer couch and his minimalistic interior. So he bought the house and basically rebuilt everything inside. It has a huge open kitchen on the ground floor with a round dining table and around the corner is their couch with the telly and Seb’s lego toy train. The bedrooms are on the first floor (Seb got the bigger one and the guest room is basically a play room for him too) and Robert has a home office in the loft. It wasn’t what he was imagining for himself a few years ago, but for the two of them it is actually perfect. 

They settle in the kitchen, Aaron builds the cardboard model with Seb at the table and Robert makes his famous pasta. The sauce is already prepared in the fridge, now he is rolling out the dough whilst staring over to the dining area. Seb is concentrating, he frowns and sticks his tongue out, Aaron helps him whenever it is needed and explains everything to him. 

They are good together.

Robert’s heart clenches painfully in his chest when he notices how domestic this all is. Like a normal family evening. Like everything Robert never had in the past four years when it was just him and Seb - and occasionally Vic - against the world. 

It surprises him that he never missed this. 

An ordinary family life was simply never on the table, so Robert didn’t even think about it. Now it feels like he cracked a door open, just enough to get a tiny peek of how it could be. Of how it could be not being alone anymore.

Robert isn‘t the crying type, not really, but suddenly his vision gets blurry and he has to turn around to the stove and blink a few times to center himself again. He didn’t know it would hit him that hard, that he would have all those complicated feelings, when nothing had even happened between Aaron and him so far. 

“Do you need help there?” he hears Aaron saying to him.

“No, thanks!” he manages to shout over his shoulder and hopes his voice doesn’t waver, “I have prepared everything, I just need to roll the dough out and heat everything up for a few minutes.”

“What are you cooking?”

“Pasta. I didn’t know if you like salmon, so I went for the classic tomato sauce instead. I hope this is okay.” Robert feels like an idiot suddenly, he could just have asked Aaron what he likes and what he doesn’t.

He turns half around to see Aaron standing up with a shocked expression. Great, now he ruined it, maybe Aaron is allergic to tomatoes or something. Why didn’t he just ask?

“You are making fresh pasta?” Aaron asks incredulously when he comes closer.

“Err, yeah. I’m sorry, I should have asked-”

The words stuck in his throat when Aaron stopped behind him. He is  _ that  _ close he feels his body heat. They were never that close, Robert realises with a stuttering heart. Aaron glances over his shoulder into the pots and his breath tickles on Robert’s neck, on the sensitive area right below his ear. A shiver rolls down his spine, gives him goosebumps all over and sends a wave of arousal through his body. If he would turn his head only a little bit, he could kiss Aaron. 

“Oh god, marry me,” Aaron groans.

Robert knows that it is just a saying, just a little joke, but his brain goes offline anyway. 

“Maybe we should kiss first,” he croaks before he can think about it.

He freezes when he’s catching up with his own words. God, he feels like a teenager again.

Aaron steps closer until his chest touches Robert’s shoulder blades. Even through the fabric he can feel Aaron’s pecs and he has to close his eyes for a short moment. An image flashes up in his head, of Aaron bending him over the counter. 

“Later, yeah?” Aaron whispers into his ear, deep and husky and Robert is screwed.

Suddenly the heat is gone because Aaron is walking away. 

“Hey Seb, why don’t you show me where your plates are, we could set the table together!” Robert hears him saying cheerily.

Plates are chattering, Seb starts talking about the model again and Robert grabs the wooden spoon and wills his boner to go away.

  
  
  


After the dinner they switch into the living room, Seb shows Aaron his books about the universe and asks a lot of questions, the other man answers them with the patience of a saint and in the end Seb basically sits on Aaron’s lap. 

Robert can’t hold himself back, he (not so subtly) snaps a pic with his phone. 

Not much later Seb starts yawning and suddenly every second feels too long to be finally be alone with Aaron.

“Seb, it’s getting late! Time to go to bed.”

“Daddy, no!” Seb whines. “We haven’t done that moon sand yet!”

“We’ll do it next time, buddy, yeah?” Aaron suggests.

Robert’s breath hitches. ‘Buddy’ is his pet name for Seb and hearing Aaron using it makes him feeling all mushy. And then there is also the promise of a next time. Aaron is still up for this, although he just got grilled by a six-year-old for over an hour. Robert can’t quite believe it.

Luckily, Seb is alright with this option and only 30 minutes later, he is lying peacefully in his bed. Sometimes it takes over an hour and comes along with screaming and tears. Robert thanks the universe that his son didn’t throw a tantrum, as if he knew that it was somehow important today and kisses his forehead softly. 

When he comes back into the living room, he finds Aaron on the couch playing with his phone. He stops for a moment and takes the sight in. Aaron has his feet tucked under his legs and sips a bottle of beer, he looks incredibly soft with his curly hair and his comfy black sweater. He looks like he belongs here. 

“Hey,” Aaron says quietly when he looks up and puts his phone away.

“Hey.”

Robert sits next to him and finally it is just the two of them. For a second he simply enjoys the silence and Aaron’s presence. 

“So,” Aaron starts, puts his arm on the backrest and leans his head against his palm, “can I ask you a question?”

Anything, Robert thinks, but he says: “Sure.”

“Seb’s mum…?“

The question hangs in the air and Robert sighs. He knew that Aaron would want to know about that, maybe it is good to just get it on the table right from the start.

“She is useless,” he says and the old anger bubbles up inside of him, “We weren’t really together, it was a bit like an on and off thing, you know? And then I hadn’tseen her for years and suddenly she came into my work and…” he took a deep breath in, “she pushed him into my arms, congratulated me and said that he was my responsibility now. She wanted to move to Ibiza to, I don’t know, do DJ-ing or some shit like that. She just left him.” Robert swallowed. “He was only two years old.”

No words could ever describe this worst day of his whole life and the weeks after that. How much Seb cried for his mummy, how clueless he was about what to do with a little boy, how he had to learn everything from changing a diaper to cooking a decent meal (surprisingly two-year-olds don’t like indian take-away). How he had to buy clothes and toys and basically everything, because his stupid, egoistical bitch of a mother just disappeared the day after she dropped him off.

“Oh fuck, that is awful,” Aaron says horrified. Then he chews his bottom lip, thinking about something. “Did you…? How do you know,...? Are you sure…?” he stammers and Robert gets what he’s trying to say.

“Yeah. I got him and me tested. He’s mine. But I knew it before the results came back.”

He smiles at Aaron. No matter how hard and painful everything was, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Seb is his. His everything. 

“I know it sounds cheesy, but the best things in life just happen without being plan-nnmmh!”

Aaron lunged forward and kissed him. It feels nothing like Robert imagined it in the past few weeks. Because it is even better. Aaron’s lips are soft and his stubble tickles his chin. A hand grazes over his biceps, squeezes softly and Robert melts. It’s been so long. He can’t even remember who the last person he kissed was. 

Aaron pulls back, but he stays close. Robert blinks his eyes open, dazed, he wasn’t even aware that he had closed them.

“I wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” Aaron whispers and laughs shakily.

Robert has this huge lump in his throat and he knows that he won’t be able to form actual words right now anyway. So he goes for the next best option. He leans in and kisses Aaron again.

  
  
  


Robert wants to pinch himself. Like, is this real? But then he stares at this pic on his phone, the snapshot of Seb and Aaron, he feels all giddy and buzzing again. 

They talked and kissed on the couch until 2am and it was without exaggerating the best night ever. Kisses were always meant to lead to sex, they weren‘t meant to be about just  _ kissing _ . 

He can‘t stop smiling. He smiles during his skype meeting and notices the irritated looks of his accountants, he smiles during his weekly grocery shopping and the cashier winks at him in the end - and that leaves Robert irritated. Irritated, but smiling.

He is still smiling when Vic says to him reproachfully: “What are you thinking, Rob?“ 

And then he isn‘t smiling anymore.

Vic picked Seb up from school and brought him home. The little man went up into his room and she came to the dining table, where he is sitting with his iPad, checking the stock prices.

“Excuse me?“ he says, taken aback. Has he missed something?

“Seb told me about your date with Aaron.“ 

Vic puts her hands on her hips and looks down on him with  _ that _ expression again. Robert knows where this is heading and his hackles raise immediately, he hates this conversation already.

“And?“ he snaps.

“You barely know this guy! And you invite him here?“ 

He tries to understand her weird logic, but honestly he can‘t, because how is he supposed to get to know Aaron better if he isn‘t allowed to meet him? When he wants to answer just that, she cuts him off.

“Haven‘t you thought about Seb at all?“ she asks snippy.

Her words are like a stab into his chest. Thinking about Seb is all he is doing. Seb is his priority. Second comes his work, but his boy is always his number one. Robert’s blood boils with pure anger and frustration. In all these years it was never about him. He has no hobbies, no friends, no social life. How dare she come here and throw it in his face, just because he went for something he wanted for  _ once _ . 

“Because what happens if this doesn‘t work out, Rob?” Vic is clearly not finished, but Robert doesn‘t want to hear this, really. He huffs and she continues: “He thinks this guy is some sort of superman. Seb already lost his mother, do you think he could handle losing another person?“

Robert just stares at his little sister, not even trying to follow her twisted logic anymore. Because that would mean he had to stay single until Seb is a grown up. 

“So what then? I should finish it with him before it gets too deep? Is that it?“ he bitterly tries to sum it up. 

“I‘m just saying,“ she raises her hands, “that this is serious, Rob. You can‘t just fool around and then dump the lad if it suits you, because it will break Seb’s heart and you know it. Are you really ready for something serious? A serious commitment?“

Robert is totally mature in this situation, so he just ignores Vic after that, stares at his iPad without actually reading anything until she leaves. He is moody afterwards and the evening ends in a fight between him and Seb. 

  
  
  
  


It is 1am and he stares at the display of his clock radio. There is no sleep in sight because his mind is running in circles.

Robert is still mad at Vic and even more mad at himself, because he can‘t stop his brain from thinking about her words in endless circles.

The thing is, he knows how to handle one night stands, he also had quite a few flings before Seb as well, but never something serious. Robert always felt too young for feelings and  _ commitment _ , he wanted to make money first, build up a career, enjoy life and travel around the world - and then came Seb and everything was turned upside down.

So basically, he has no clue about relationships. His longest ‘relationship‘ lasted about two months with a girl named Katie when he was 18. How is he supposed to do it right this time? How is he supposed to not screw this up?

Vic asked him if he is ready for something serious and the truth is, he doesn‘t know. What she said, hit him deeper than he first thought. And that’s the thing.

Her words were like a tiny little seed, planted in his head, and now it’s growing and growing and Robert isn‘t able to stop it. 

  
  
  
  


He ends up calling Aaron the next evening with a quick beating heart, his phone feels slippery in his clammy hands. 

“Hi Robert,“ Aaron breathes softly into his ear and Robert shudders like he always does when he hears that rough voice for the first time over the speaker. 

“Hiya,“ he whispers and stares up to the ceiling. 

“Hey, I saw that there‘s a Apollo 11 model from lego, I thought about buying it for Seb‘s next birthday! What do you think?“

Aaron sounds excited and Robert‘s heart twists and feels like it’s shrinking down to the size of a nut.

Aaron’s making plans for the future already.

“His birthday is in ten months,“ Robert says, feeling hot and cold at the same time.

“Yeah, alright. Christmas then!“

Aaron wants to spend Christmas with them. Robert‘s eyes start to burn. Because he wants that too, wants that more than anything.

“If he‘s still interested in the universe by then, of course,“ Aaron laughs softly, oblivious of Robert‘s hurting chest.

“If you‘re still interested in us by then, more like,“ he whispers and the other end of the line goes still.

“Robert? Where’s this coming from?“ 

The light tone in Aaron’s voice disappeared, he is definitely worried now. Robert is taking a deep breath, as if to brace himself for what he is about to say. 

“What if this doesn‘t work? It‘ll break Seb‘s heart,“ Robert uses Vic‘s words and they taste like ash in his mouth. He squeezes his eyes shut and wishes his heart would stop bloody hurting. 

Aaron stays silent, only his breath rasps into Robert‘s ear. He wants him to say something, anything. He opens his eyes and they land on that cardboard model, that visualises the distance between the earth and the sun.

“Seb is… like my sun, you know?“ he tries to explain his whirling thoughts, “Not only my son, but also my  _ sun _ . My center. Everything in my world is catered to him, focussed on him.”

His voice breaks a little, he has to clear his throat and swallow. 

“So you‘re like the earth turning around the sun?“ Aaron asks softly.

“Something like that,“ Robert snorts weakly. The comparison is somehow accurate as weird as it is.

“Robert. The earth has a constant companion,” Aaron says hoarsely, “The moon.“

A meaningful silence lingers after that and Robert tries to process what Aaron just said. He opens his mouth to say something back, but suddenly he is lost for words. 

“So… you wanna be my moon?“ he finally manages out and has to smile at how stupid this sounds.

Aaron barks out a laugh, deep and scratchy and incredibly sexy.

“I wanna be your moon, Robert. You don‘t have to do this alone.“

The sentence is just what he needs, the words feel like a cosy blanket, they muffle him, warm him, calm him down. The tension slowly flows out of his body and Robert suddenly notices how strained the muscles in his shoulders are. Finally, for the first time since his conversation with Vic, his brain shuts up and Robert lets out a shaky sigh. 

They are both silent for a moment, Aaron‘s breathing is soothing. Grounding.

Robert closes his eyes and focuses on his hearing. The radio in the kitchen quietly playing, the melody crawls slowly into his ear.

_ We get it almost every night _

_ When that moon is big and bright _

_ It's a supernatural delight _

_ Everybody dancin' in the moonlight _

_ Everybody here is out of sight _

_ They don't bark and they don't bite _

_ They keep things loose they keep it tight _

_ Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight _

Robert can‘t stop it, he suddenly laughs out loud and shakes his head.

“What?“ Aaron wants to know, sounding amused.

“I don‘t know,“ says Robert, because he really doesn‘t, “I think the universe is trying to tell me something.“

“Well, you should listen then, Robert. The universe is mostly right.“

  
  
  
  


“Daddy? Are you really sure he is working?“ Seb asks for the fourth time.

Robert shoots him a quick smile as he parks their car. He is just as nervous as Seb. 

“Yes, buddy. Aaron texted earlier that he is here the whole day.“

Robert looks over to the observatory, a stately old pile, huge and grey, and the excitement makes him jittery. They want to surprise Aaron and Robert can‘t wait to see him again. 

They texted and spoke a lot over the phone during the last week, but their last real meeting was ten days ago and Robert needs the real thing again. Maybe Aaron can lead them somewhere quiet, his office or something, maybe he can steal a kiss or two. 

Jesus, he really feels like a teenager again. 

They queue up for entry and Robert’s eyes fall on the ad for annual tickets. 

“Two annual tickets please, for me and the little fella here,“ he says when it‘s their turn.

“How old are you?“ the red haired lady smiles at Seb.

“I‘m six!“ Seb says proudly and holds his fingers up.

She smiles and Robert has to give his name and address to her. After he paid, they got two chip cards.

“With this ticket we can visit Aaron whenever we want, buddy!“ Robert explains and puts them carefully away in his leather wallet.

“Really? That‘s awesome, daddy!“ Seb beams at him with the pure love of a child.

“So, let‘s go and search for him, shall we?“ 

Robert grabs Seb‘s hand and they walk through the different rooms. Unfortunately it is family sunday and the observatory is pretty crowded.

“Maybe I should call him…“ Robert thinks aloud.

“Duh, then it‘s not a surprise anymore, daddy!“ Seb sighs.

He doesn‘t find Aaron, but he spots another familiar face. The old smarmy guy, Mr White. The boss.

“Mr White?“ Robert calls after him and the man turns around.

“Yes, how can I help you?“ 

“Could you please tell us where we can find Mr Dingle? He is supposed to be working today.“

“Mr… Dingle?“ White looks at them as if hearing the name for the first time and Robert can‘t help but think how weird this is. He saw them both talking to each other! 

“Aaron! Your scientist Aaron!“ Seb chimes in, impatient as ever when two adults are talking.

Mr White looks at them both like they had lost it and the weird feeling in Robert‘s stomach gets stronger. Suddenly the old man laughs out loud as if Seb just said something funny.

He notices how his son bows his head out of embarrassment. Robert won’t have that, his instincts kick in, he grabs Seb‘s shoulders and gives him an encouraging squeeze. 

“Excuse me?“ he says curtly to Mr White.

“There is no scientist called Mr Dingle working here,“ White replies, pure sarcasm dripping out of his mouth, “but if you look for  _ Aaron _ , he is over there!“

He points somewhere over Robert‘s shoulder. 

Robert follows the line of his finger and his gaze lands on the restrooms. He frowns in confusion and opens his mouth to ask what that’s supposed to mean, but in that moment the door of the gents opens and a guy with dark hair slowly walks backwards out of it. 

The man looks familiar and Robert knows right away that it is Aaron although he only sees his back. Robert wonders why he is walking so strangely. But then he spots it. Aaron is pulling something out of the door.

A trolly with cleaning supplies.

And it finally clicks and Robert feels it like a punch in the guts. 

Aaron is a cleaner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dundun!!
> 
> Okay, I can‘t just do fluff without a little twist 😂  
> Sorry.


	3. You and me together, stars forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Robert discovered Aaron‘s secret - how will they both react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved to write this, so I added an Epilogue! 🙌🏻
> 
> (Chapter title taken from the amazing Robyn, one of my favourite singers)

Robert wishes time would freeze, like in bad movies. He desperately needs a moment to process this. Aaron is not a scientist. Aaron is a cleaner. Robert feels a bad headache coming on, because he doesn’t understand how that is possible. Aaron knew all this stuff, all these facts about the planets, the stars, the universe. 

Robert really wishes time would freeze, to give him a moment, but reality is cruel, reality is just moving on like nothing happened. Kids are shouting and laughing, parents are talking and Aaron is pulling his trolly out of the restrooms. Robert watches him, bending down, picking something up - probably a piece of trash, something that someone just threw away carelessly. Aaron wears yellow gloves and Robert has to blink because he can’t wrap his head around it. 

Suddenly he wants to leave. Aaron hasn’t seen him yet and Robert just wants to go now, pretend he never saw this. Maybe if he just pretends hard enough-

well Robert forgot about Seb. Because the little fella has spotted Aaron too and runs over to him.

“Aaron! Over here!” he shouts excitedly and Robert winces.

The other man turns around, looking surprised. As soon as he realises that it is Seb, Aaron’s eyes widen and they search around in the crowd until they lock on his. Robert sees the pure shock in Aaron’s face, he sees him swallowing, the Adam’s apple bobs up and down.

“Surprise!” Seb has reached Aaron and hugs his thigh, because he is just a kid and totally oblivious to what just happened, bless him. 

And Aaron stands still, gaze flicking from Robert down to Seb. His yellow gloves linger somewhere in the air. Robert struts over to them on legs that feel stiff and weird, like if they don’t belong to his body.

“Buddy, I think we should come back another time,” he says and tries to sound cheerful, but it comes out almost hysterical.

“But we just got here!” Seb complains and pouts.

It becomes too much, everything is too much. His son still hugs Aaron’s leg, but honestly who even is Aaron Dingle? Robert doesn’t know this man who is supposed to be his boyfriend. He only knows that Aaron Dingle is a liar. 

He can’t handle that. And he can’t handle Aaron’s big blue eyes looking at him with that sheer expression of panic and guilt either. 

“I said, we’re going!” he snaps at his son.

Aaron flinches, Seb freezes in shock for a second and then he starts to cry. A wave of guilt hits Robert, because that was the last thing he wanted. None of this is Seb’s fault. Robert’s heart feels like it’s wrapped in barbed wire and the little peaks are sinking slowly but unrelentingly into it. 

Seb doesn’t make a move, only cries even louder and people start looking over. Robert feels their eyes on them and he starts to sweat, so he just bends down and grabs his son. He needs to get out of here. Like _now_. He turns on his heels, when he feels something tugging on his arm.

“Robert...” Aaron starts and it sounds like a plea.

But he doesn’t wanna know what Aaron has to say. If he said something like “it’s not what it looks like” or “I can explain”, Robert would scream. His thoughts are racing but at the same time it feels like everything in his head is a white blur. He can’t deal with that dirty yellow glove that is currently pulling on his jacket. Robert yanks his arm away.

“This is a designer jacket!” he hisses angrily before he can stop himself.

Aaron pulls his hand back like he’d been burned and hangs his head. He looks defeated, he looks as if Robert just hit him, and Robert knows he _did_ in fact, with his words. 

And so he flees, he basically runs out with his crying son on his arm without looking back. 

  
  
  


It’s awful. Everything is awful. Seb doesn’t understand what happened and so he keeps asking about Aaron on the whole drive home. He screams at Robert and throws nasty tantrums. 

It’s like being in a time spiral, it’s like four years ago, only then Seb was still a little boy, almost a baby, and now he is a moody 6-year-old. Robert is incredibly tired and he feels like crying, but he doesn’t want to let his guard down in front of Seb.

As soon as they’re home, his son storms up into his room and Robert just lets himself fall on the couch, face down into the cushions. In his back pocket his phone buzzes - again. He knows it’s Aaron, but he’s dreading reading the messages. 

It’s still bloody confusing. Aaron is so smart, so brilliant with kids, and all the things he knows - that was not an act, that was not a lie. Robert can’t fathom how he ended up as a cleaner. He can’t stop thinking about those yellow gloves, how they grabbed his arm. And how he snapped at Aaron. Guilt and shame are flushing through his body when he remembers how broken Aaron looked after his harsh words. The barbed wire around his heart is tightening its grip and it’s hurting even worse than before. 

With shaky fingers he pulls his phone out and stares at the display. 6 unread messages. 

_I’m so sorry!_

_I didn’t want you to find it out like that, I wanted to tell you, I promise._

_Robert, please just call me._

_Or maybe I could come over tonight? Please let me explain it._

_Can you please just let me know if you got home safely? I am worried._

_I’m sorry, I’m a disappointment._

Robert closes his eyes and takes a few breaths. Yes, he is angry and disappointed, but Aaron is also the guy he’s fallen in love with. The feelings are battling inside him, tearing him apart. 

_We’re home,_ he types, _I need time. I’ll call you._

Robert knows that it is a shitty message, but it is the best he can offer right now.

  
  
  
  


A few days later it’s still awful. The anger has subsided slowly and now he misses Aaron. If only they could switch back to those blissful weeks of texting, flirting, back to that lovely dinner and those amazing kisses afterwards. 

It was so damn perfect and Robert wants it back.

Seb is just as miserable. After the first day of shouting he went very quiet and that was even worse than the tantrums. Seeing his boy so silent, pale and without energy was so out of character that it worried Robert a lot. He tried to talk to Seb, but the little man is stubborn like his dad, so he blocked off every conversation.

On the third day after the incident he notices Seb standing in the kitchen door frame for over ten minutes, watching him. Robert is at the table, reading his mails. Finally, Seb slowly comes closer to him and Robert knows that he wants to talk now, so he closes his laptop and waits patiently.

“Are you and Aaron having a row?“ he asks with a small voice.

“Yeah, we kinda had a row,” Robert answers and opens his arms. “Come here.”

He feels utterly relieved when Seb climbs on his lap and he can cuddle him again. Robert has missed this so much in the past few days and he buries his nose in the strawberry blond hair and takes a deep breath. He loves that smell, loves how the hair tickles at his face.

“I’ve missed you, buddy,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry I scared you in the observatory.”

Robert hugs his son, wraps him in his arms and never wants to let go.

“I just don’t understand it, daddy,” Seb says sadly.

Robert had enough time to think about how he could explain everything to Seb, so thankfully he is prepared for this talk.

“The problem is that Aaron told us he is a scientist. But he is not a scientist, he is a cleaner. He lied to us.”

Seb is quiet again, nibbling on his bottom lip, his little forehead frowning.

“But… the _other_ things he told us, about the stars and the planets… that’s all true, right? Right daddy?” he finally asks, his little fists grab the fabric of Robert’s shirt and his eyes start to water. 

Robert’s heart almost explodes in his chest. He knows how hard it is for Seb to rely on others, after what his mother did, his basic trust is shattered. But he opened up to Aaron, let him in so quickly, if he would find out that everything was just a lie, it could damage him forever. 

“Yes, it’s all true,” Robert says quickly and strokes his small back with soothing circles.

Seb sniffs, swallows and nods with all seriousness, looking way too old for his six years. 

“So he only lied about his work, right daddy?“

Robert hums into his hair. 

“Lying is bad,“ Seb states and Robert hums again.

“Buuuut,“ his son starts and raises his pointer, “I lied about the chocolate once and after I said I‘m sorry, you weren‘t angry anymore.“

That actually makes Robert smile a bit. His son‘s brain comes up with the weirdest stuff. To compare stealing a chocolate bar to what Aaron did, was typical kids logic, but adorable somehow.

“So you think we should forgive Aaron?“ he asks because Seb‘s opinion on this really matters to him. If his boy said ‘no’, Robert would end it, no matter how painful it would be. “You don‘t care that he’s not a real scientist?“

“He is still Aaron, though,” says Seb wisely and rolls his eyes dramatically as if he’s annoyed that his old dad wouldn‘t get the easiest of facts. 

Something in Robert‘s chest settles, because his smartass son is surprisingly right. He doesn‘t know when his baby boy got all grown up like that, but for the first time in days the barbed wire around his heart loosens. It’s not gone and it still hurts, but Aaron is still Aaron.

“When me and Isaac have a row,“ Seb continues, meaning his school mate, “we apologise and we exchange stickers.”

“That‘s… that‘s nice, buddy,“ Robert says carefully and kisses his hair again.

Seb squirms out of the embrace to run up the stairs and Robert hears him searching for something. After a few minutes he comes down again with a little piece of paper.

“This is my most awesome sticker. But you can have it for Aaron, daddy.“

He hands it over with an encouraging smile. On the paper is - and Robert is not surprised at all - a big moon with silver glitter. 

  
  
  


They agreed to meet on Friday after Seb is asleep, to be able to talk without interruptions and Robert is a bundle of nerves when the bell finally rings.

No matter how mad he was at Aaron in the past week - as soon as he sees him, his heart skips a beat and somewhere in his belly a basket opens and lets out hundreds of butterflies. 

Aaron wears his hair gel-free again, just how Robert loves it. He bites his lip nervously and his blue eyes have this soft expression again.

“Hi Aaron.“

“Hiya.“

For a moment they just stand there awkwardly, both not knowing what to do next, until Robert steps aside and Aaron ducks his head and walks past him into the open kitchen.

Robert leads them to the dining table, because the couch feels too intimate for the serious conversation they‘re about to have. The table is neutral ground, so to say. He gets them two beers from the fridge and sits down.

“I‘m sorry, Robert!“ Aaron blurts out the second his arse lands on the chair. “I‘m so so sorry. It‘s just… you were this hot bloke in a fancy _suit_ and yeah, maybe I wanted to impress you and that‘s why I didn‘t correct Seb when he assumed I was a scientist. I thought I‘d never see you again, anyway. But then… then you were amazing and we exchanged numbers and started texting…“ Aaron sighs and scratches his eyebrow. “I wanted to tell you, but there was never the right time and I didn‘t know _how_.“

“Because you thought I‘d break it off if I knew you were ‘just a cleaner’?” Robert gestures the quotes in the air.

“You have a goddamn Porsche outside, Robert,“ Aaron huffs, “I came here on the bus. Of course I thought you‘d break it off.“

Robert thinks about that for a long moment. Thinks about if it makes a difference to him if Aaron is a scientist or not, if he is loaded or not. Yes, he was shocked at first. Seeing Aaron with that cleaning trolly and those yellow gloves, he’s not sure if he can ever forget that image. 

But he’s had a week now to think about everything, to cool down again and in the end Seb‘s words spring to his mind: he‘s still Aaron. 

“I‘m a _cleaner_! Okay?“ Aaron hisses and then he adds more quietly: “Hardly relationship material for someone like you.“

Aaron can‘t hold his gaze anymore, stares at the table and he starts biting on the inside of his cheek. And then Robert has had enough. He slams his hand on the table so hard that it makes Aaron jump.

“Stop making yourself small!“ he shouts angrily and Aaron’s face turns from sad to shocked.

“Wha-?“

“I don‘t care _what_ you are, Aaron!“ Robert emphasizes the word. “I care about _who_ you are.“

Aaron stares at him dumbfounded, with a slack mouth and wide eyes, it is almost comical if it weren‘t that serious.

“Is this the only thing you lied about?“ Robert asks, because he needs to know this.

“Yes.“ It‘s barely a whisper and sheer relief washes over Robert.

“Because we need honesty, Seb and me. After what he‘s been through, what we have been through…” Robert locks with Aaron‘s eyes, tries to lay all his feelings into his look. “We don‘t trust easily. But we trust you.“

Aaron’s eyes start to water and he lets out a sob that he tries to cover with his hand.

“Seb’s lucky to have a dad like you, you know?“ Aaron croaks and sniffs. “My father was a nightmare and I ran away when I was 16. I didn‘t finish school, I had no money, no place to stay and then I met the wrong people. But they gave me a home again and I was thankful for that, and naive and stupid... so I did them a few favours every now and then. And before I even realised it, I became their drug dealer.” 

Numbness creeps into Robert‘s body, spreads slowly from his chest. He didn‘t expect such a horrible backstory. 

“I was a stupid teenager,“ Aaron continues and his icy eyes are fixed on some point in the distance. “And when I finally wanted to get out, they wouldn‘t let me.“ He swallows.

“So how did you get out?“ Robert whispers.

Aaron looks at him and the saddest smile Robert has ever seen tugs on the corners of his mouth. It‘s heartbreaking. 

“Handed myself in, didn‘t I?“

Robert wants to reach out over the table, grab Aaron‘s hand, but somehow he can‘t. He can‘t believe what the other man has been through.

“I got two years,“ Aaron says simply and clears his throat. “When I came out I tried to find a job, but - _surprise_!“ he shouts bitterly and mock-waves his hands, “you don‘t get one without any qualifications.. I was lucky that Lawrence White took me on. But I am trying to make the best out of it. I finished school in the meantime and I started studying,“ Aaron‘s voice swells up with a little pride at that and Robert is proud of him too. “And that‘s the story of Aaron, the cleaner.“

Warmth and pure affection flows through Robert‘s body. Aaron went through hell, but he came out of it, he survived and got so much stronger than he is aware of himself. 

“No,” he says and finally springs to life. He leans over the table and squeezes Aaron‘s hand. “You‘re Aaron, my boyfriend.”

  
  
  


Robert is on fire. Every nerve, every fibre of his body is buzzing.

And although he thinks it is too much already, that he can’t take anymore, Aaron won’t stop. Aaron takes him apart with his lips, his tongue, his scruff, his fingers. The sensation is overwhelming after all those years, where the only other touches he basically got were hugs from his son with sticky hands and wet raspberry kisses on his cheek. 

Robert’s whole body shudders when Aaron breathes along his thigh and scratches his stubble over his sensitive skin. His boyfriend takes his time to make him come undone. It’s amazing and cruel at the same time, Robert twitches and writhes on the sheets.

Aaron opens him up gently with sweet, tender kisses on his hips. And Robert squeezes his eyes shut and takes it, just takes it until he can’t take it anymore and then he’s begging for more.

“I’ll make you see stars,” Aaron whispers and Robert wants to laugh at this cheesy reference to their first meeting, but the sound gets stuck in an hiccup and a strangled moan.

Aaron enters him slowly, inch by inch, and Robert just clings onto his biceps. And then he feels full, so full and _whole_ somehow. Aaron is over him, around him, in him, everywhere. They start moving, rolling their hips steady, in a perfect rhythm, together as one. Robert had no idea it could be like this. He bottomed a few times before, for one-night-stands years ago, but this is different, this isn’t sex, this is making love. His hands stroke every part of Aaron’s body they can reach and he feels the muscles on his back contracting with every movement. Robert wishes he could see this, the imagination alone drives him crazy. His fingers caress Aaron’s strong arms up to the wrists next to head. With a quick movement, Aaron grabs his hands, the left first, then the right one, and pins them over his head on the pillow. He is restrained now, can’t do anything but follow Aaron’s lead, give himself over completely.

“I love you, Robert.”

The raspy voice pants into his ear, makes his whole body shudder and suddenly the emotions take over and bury him. Robert comes untouched with a shout and he actually sees stars as his vision whites out.

Aaron follows with a broken moan and Robert feels like he’s flying.

It takes him a few minutes to come down from his high, in the meantime Aaron must have thrown away the condom and cleaned him. They snuggle up under the blanket, Aaron is lying on his chest and Robert kisses his curly hair.

“I love you too,” he whispers and there are no words in the universe to describe his happiness right now.

Aaron softly caresses the side of his belly and it tickles him, makes him squirm. They chuckle quietly. It’s one of those perfect moments in life, where every little detail is just as it is supposed to be. The weight of Aaron’s head, the smell of his hair, the heat under the blanket, the feeling of their skin against each other, the deep relaxation that seeps through his body. Just perfect. 

Not even the fact that the curtains aren’t completely closed is bothering him right now. The moonlight shines into the room. And the last thing Robert realises with a little smile before he falls asleep is that it’s - of course - a full moon night.

  
  
  
  


In the next few weeks Robert realises a lot of things. It’s mind-blowing actually.

He always thought that he would have no time for a relationship, but reality is quite the opposite. Suddenly he has more time than ever since he got Seb. 

Because Aaron plays with Seb and Robert is able to do some work without distractions and he is so much quicker when he doesn't get “daddy-ed” every five minutes. He can put his laptop away earlier than usual and then he joins his two favourite boys.

Robert always had to cook their meals, think about what to eat, but now there is Aaron who helps him and sometimes takes over completely. 

They settle into a wonderful everyday rhythm and Robert can’t even remember how life was without his boyfriend. Aaron basically lives here now, he spends more time at their house than in his own flat. His black sweaters are piling up in the walk-in-closet, his shower gel is standing next to Robert’s and there is his favourite marmalade in the fridge. He even has this one mug he always uses that Seb and Robert just call “Aaron’s mug” by now.

Things have fallen into place as if they were always meant to be like this.

Robert cuts the veggies and looks over to the table where Aaron reads a book with Seb. His son sits on his lap, snuggled against Aaron’s chest and his boyfriend has his arm put around him and holds his close. Robert always thought that his love for Seb was already overwhelming, that there simply would be no room for loving another person just as much. But Aaron has proven him wrong on that point again. 

The Sunset Strippers sing about Falling Stars on the radio and Aaron’s husky voice rings through the room.

“ _The moon holds the earth in place. Without it, the axis of our planet would shift and our climate would change drastically. Without the moon the earth would rotate much faster, a day would only be 6 to 12 hour long! The moon and the earth are locked in a gravitational embrace. That provides stability for both of them._ ”

Aaron looks up from the book and smiles at him with this incredibly fond expression and soft eyes that still makes his stomach flip and Robert smiles back. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you love this just as I do!
> 
> Now switch to the Epilogue 😉


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Just fluff.

“Relax, dad!” Seb says and tugs on Robert’s tie to fix the knot.

He looks at his son, who has few spots on his forehead now. Seb tries to hide them under his hair that is falling almost over his eyes. Robert wanted him to get it cut for today, but obviously Seb is thirteen and makes these decisions himself now. He is huge, reaching almost to Robert’s shoulders. God, how did he grow up so bloody fast, Robert thinks and his heart twists in a weird mixture between sweet pain and pride. 

“I can’t relax!” he says exasperated.

He slept poorly last night, it was awful. Lonely in his bed.

Seb just laughs and shakes his head.

“It’ll be fine!”

“Easy for you to say,” Robert mutters grumpily. 

He is so nervous, he feels like he needs to throw up every second. His hands won’t stop sweating and he keeps trying to swallow that huge lump in his throat down. 

Seb claps him on the shoulders and gives him an encouraging look. 

“One small step for mankind, one giant leap for Robert Sugden,” he jokes and Robert slaps his hands away. “I’ll wait outside,” his son still snickers and leaves him.

Robert shakes his head, has to smile to himself. He looks into the mirror, checks his reflection one last time. He tugs the waistcoat down and buttons his jacket up. Robert takes a deep breath and leaves the room. 

The observatory is empty. “Private function” says the sign at the entrance. 

The new boss is a lady called Harriet Finch and it took Robert one meeting and a huge cheque to get her on board with his plan. 

Aaron is waiting for him in the doorframe, looking as gorgeous as Robert imagined him for the past few months. His suit is blue and matching his own, it fits like a second skin. It makes his eyes shine like sapphires and Robert still can’t believe his luck, that this amazing bloke is his. 

“Back to where it all began, Mr  _ En-tre-pre-neur _ ,” Aaron smiles at him and kisses him softly. “You look amazing,” he whispers.

“You’re still the hottest scientist this planet ever has seen,” Robert says and winks.

It’s true by now, Aaron  _ is  _ a scientist, working at the uni and Robert tries to show him with everything he can how proud he is of him.

“Come on, let’s do this.”

They walk into the dome, the stars are shining bright from the night sky. And for a moment, Robert’s heart beats so fast that he thinks he might pass out, but then Aaron grabs his hand and squeezes gently. The thumb strokes over his fingers. It grounds him, centers him, slows down his running mind.

Robert takes it all in for the first time. There is only a small group of people in there, Robert’s family, a few close friends and Seb and his best mate Isaac. 

There are two white chairs and the registrar waiting for them. This is really happening. They spent months planning this day, but it feels like yesterday that Aaron asked him to marry him. 

Music is playing too, Robert notices. Seb has put the music for the ceremony together and Robert can’t help but think how perfect the choice of his son was.

_ And darling I will be loving you til we’re 70 _

_ and baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23 _

_ I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways _

_ Maybe it's all part of a plan _

_ I'll just keep on making the same mistakes _

_ Hoping that you'll understand _

_ So honey now _

_ Take me into your loving arms _

_ Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars _

_ Place your head on my beating heart _

_ I'm thinking out loud _

_ That maybe we found love right where we are _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you liked this little story!  
> 💫

**Author's Note:**

> Sing with me guys https://youtu.be/2c1Y34vgrI8  
> Hope you like this little fic.


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